NBCUniversal Executives Bring Story Time to Stamford Elementary Students

Posted by Gaffney Bennett PR, Community Contributor

Employees from NBCUniversal's Stamford Media Center spent the morning at Toquam Magnet Elementary School reading to kindergarten and first grade classrooms as part of the United Way's Business-to-Books Read-a-thon.

Employees from NBCUniversal's Stamford Media Center spent the morning at Toquam Magnet Elementary School reading to kindergarten and first grade classrooms as part of the United Way's Business-to-Books Read-a-thon. (Posted by Gaffney Bennett PR, Community Contributor)

Community Contributor Gaffney Bennett PR

Executives from NBCUniversal's (NBCU) Stamford Media Center (SMC) read to students at Toquam Magnet Elementary School today as part of United Way of Western Connecticut's (UWWC) Annual "Business-to-Books" Read-a-thon program.

Vinnie Fusco, Vice President and General Manager of Production, Tracie Wilson, SVP of Programming and Development, and a team of SMC employees read to kindergarten and first grade students at Toquam Magnet Elementary. This marks the eighth year that NBCU has participated in the "Business-to-Books" initiative.

"Our SMC team always looks forward to visiting our friends at Toquam Magnet Elementary School and carrying on the tradition to promote literacy," said Fusco. "We value partnering with UWWC to develop relationships that help us reach the Stamford community-specifically our children and students-in such a meaningful way."

"The Stamford community instantly welcomed NBCUniversal when we first arrived in 2009," Wilson added. "Year after year, we embrace every opportunity to give back to this community and participate in initiatives like 'Business-to-Books.'

Today, 12 public elementary schools and two preschools were visited by volunteers from local companies, in addition to NBCUniversal, including Deloitte; Indeed; Greenwich Associates; Holland & Knight; Kelley Drye & Warren LLP; Legg Mason; Nestle Water North America; Philips: Pitney Bowes; and U.S. Trust.

"United Way business partners like NBCUniversal took time out of their busy schedules to read to more than 3,000 children in Stamford Public Schools today," said Bridget Fox, Executive Vice President of Community Development at UWWC. "We are lucky to work in a city with so many committed corporate partners who recognize the value of giving back to their community. Stamford is a better place because of their efforts."

In January 2002, the Workplace Volunteer Council (WVC), United Way's coalition of businesses that promotes the critical importance of volunteerism in the community, collectively identified the need to promote literacy and launched the "Business-to-Books" Read-a-thon program, which is designed to enhance public education by increasing community volunteerism in the schools.

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